Herobrine Rising
by WH1T3R4V3N
Summary: Herobrine was once a hero, a warrior, and a dedicated protector of his brother's small village and it's people. But when he gets framed, mortally wounded and exiled to the Nether for a crime he didn't commit, Herobrine decides to turn his rage on the very Minecraftians that damned him. Will he be able to clear his name, or will he have to take justice into his own hands?
1. Misa

**CONTENT WARNING**

**Lots of gore, blood and death, just how we like it.**

**If you enjoy this short intro then please leave a comment! More chapters coming soon.**

**EDIT EDIT EDIT - This was my first fanfiction, and some of the earlier chapters may not be up to scratch. Just bear with me, OK? I promise they get better as the story progresses :)**

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**Misa**

This was how it was meant to be.

The chaos of war, the thrill of intense action, the rush of hot adrenaline flooding his body. Fighting side-by-side, back-to-back with Misa under the setting sun.

Herobrine had never been happier.

He blocked, parried and hacked away relentlessly at the approaching wave of mobs, the pale half-light making his sword shine with eerie iridescence. Herobrine knew that his companion shared his thoughts; it was like they had become one - a single, lethal, unstoppable destructive force. He laughed as a zombie's head parted cleanly around the diamond blade nestled in his fist, grimacing as a hot wave of crimson splashed over his teeth and lips.

"Gross!" Misa laughed, catching a glimpse of his shocked face. "You look like a zombie, Brine! I might kill you by mistake!"

"Fat chance of that," Herobrine retorted, "You wouldn't be able to take me."

He ducked as a severed zombie limb flew over his head, aimed (intentionally) in his direction. "Missed."

Misa just laughed in response, advancing steadily towards the main bulk of mobs. All were at full health, driven crazy by the scent of fresh meat. Herobrine wasn't sure he would have dared to approach them on his own, but Misa didn't share his qualms. She would never run from a fight, and she was an outstanding at hand-to-hand combat, but still… Did she really think she could take on that gargantuan horde by herself?

Herobrine frowned. "You need some help over there?"

"Don't need your help, blue-eyes! I've got it all under con-"

Then everything went wrong.

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A charged creeper, unseen in the chaos unfolding beneath the darkening sky, had scuttled under Misa's guard. She had been too late to turn, too late to react. The next thing Herobrine knew, he was flat on his back, staring dumbly at the expansive starry sky above him. He couldn't speak, couldn't hear (save for a high-pitched whistle grating on his eardrums), couldn't even turn his head to look for his companion. In his confusion, Herobrine knew that Misa probably hadn't survived a blast like that, even with her enchanted armour.

Still, if there was even the slightest chance…

He found himself inside the fresh crater in the ground, with no recollection of how he had gotten there. He had certainly broken a few bones (if the sharp pain in his side was anything to go on), and was only able to open one eye, but none of that mattered.

Only Misa mattered.

There she lay in a pool of her own blood, limbs contorted, eyes wide, taking small shallow breaths. He laid a trembling hand on her shoulder and she gasped in pain, causing him to snatch his hand away as if burnt.

Her chocolate eyes focused upon him with difficulty and he recoiled slightly, held fast in her gaze.

"It- It'll be ok," He stammered, "Everything's going to be ok."

"That's a load of crap, Brine," She smiled weakly, "I haven't got long left, and you don't look too good either." She reached up to touch his face, tried to smear away the dried blood still around his mouth.

"No no no! You're not dying on me, Misa!" Herobrine frantically rummaged in his pack for a healing potion, but found only a sticky dampness and some glass shards that shredded his shaking fingers to pieces. He didn't even notice the pain; Herobrine could only focus on one, terrifying fact.

That was his only potion. Gone.

"We won though… Didn't we?" Misa pleaded.

Vertebrae grating, blood dripping into his eyes, Herobrine craned his neck to glance upat the snarling zombies clustered around the crater rim, stumbling down the steep decline. Driven by raw, lustful hunger, they would not stop nor listen to reason.

They would not stop until he and Misa were dead.

"Yeah," He whispered, "We won."


	2. Notch's Choice

**Notch's Choice**

The night had well and truly disappeared by the time Herobrine regained consciousness. Reality slowly asserted itself - pain, light and memories too fragile to touch. He had a blinding headache, and his left eye would not open fully, but he could see well enough to make out the figure before him.

Notch.

The two brothers were polar opposites. Notch's skin was tanned and taught, while Herobrine's shone with a slight pallor that suggested long hours of studying indoors. He had always looked to his older brother for guidance; Notch was a strong, natural leader, but Herobrine tended to stay in the shadows, preferring to observe rather than engage in matters of leadership. The one thing they both shared was their weapons proficiency and love of fighting.

Herobrine tried to sit up, but two sets of arms roughly pushed him back down again, so all he could do was gaze in confusion at his brother's stern face and wonder what was coming next.

"What-" He began.

"Don't talk," Notch commanded, "I am doing you a favour just by letting you live, Herobrine. Don't force me to take that privilege away from you. Steve, Nathan, let him up."

The sandy-haired man, Nathan, silently backed off, but Steve frowned worried about going against the word of the village leader but feeling the need to object.

"Sir?" He questioned, "That's not safe, what if he-"

"Just do it, Steve," A note of irritation had crept into Notch's voice, his dark eyes narrowing in frustration. "Besides, my little brother could never take me in a fight."

Herobrine rose to a sitting position, irritated at how the two were talking as if he wasn't there. Steve grudgingly allowed him up, but kept a firm grip on his arm as if he expected Herobrine to try and run. Why?

Finally, Brine was able to get a good look at his surroundings. He was seated on a hard metal table centred in a small, dimly-lit storage area, instead of the sterile hospital ward that he was expecting. Books, old bottles and other long-forgotten items lay strewn over a multitude of workbenches, and every surface (including his clothes and skin) was smeared with a thick coating of clinging dust.

The man he didn't recognise, Nathan, had just left, so Herobrine sneaked a glimpse at Steve. He had never met the Minecraftian personally, but had heard the two of them were so alike they could be identical twins. He now saw that the rumours were true; Steve was a little heavier built, and his eyes were a different shade of blue, but other than that the resemblance was uncanny. Although, Herobrine was so bruised and beaten up that it was hard to tell what his face looked like under the thick layer of dirt clinging to it.

"OK, what's going on?" Herobrine demanded, transferring his gaze to his older brother's face once again. "Why am I here?"

"They wanted me to kill you, Brine," Notch replied quietly, holding up his hand to silence his brother's shocked protestations. "But I can't kill one of my blood, even after what you did."

Herobrine frowned. "What did I do?"

"Misa. You killed her." Notch took a small step back as Herobrines face darkened in anger, outraged at the blatant accusation.

"I did no such thing!" He yelled slightly hysterically, throwing himself at Notch, "She was my best friend, I would never-"

Steve grabbed him and twisted one of his arms behind his back. Herobrine's knees hit the floor hard and he hissed in pain. "Where's your proof?"

"You were found by her side with your face to her throat and blood on your lips!" Notch thundered, "And you have the gall to ask me for proof?"

Herobrine shrank back in shock, the menace and hate in his brother's tone stinging him deeply. He said nothing, couldn't voice a complaint as Steve half-guided, half-dragged him to the back of the room. A hidden wall slid open with the hiss of redstone pistons, and Herobrine went numb as he recognised the looming structure beyond. Ten blocks of obsidian, mined dangerously from the deepest caves, were arranged in a huge rectangle that dominated the space around. No torches burned, the only illumination emanating from a perpetually-smouldering cube of netherrack.

Herobrine found his voice at last.

"You can't be thinking-"

"Everyone else thinks you're dead," Notch interrupted, "Trust me, exile is the only option now."

"But I didn't do ANYTHING!"

"I'm sure you didn't, Brine, but the people have spoken. You should be greatful I have shown you such… leniency."

Blood started seeping through the side of Herobrine's shirt in his distress. Evidently, his wounds had not been healed.

Notch tossed him a canvas bag, and ignited the Nether portal with a casual flick of the torch in his left hand.

"Brine, go," Notch insisted, "At least this way you get to keep your life."

"But what kind of life will I have?" Herobrine glared at his once-idolised brother, now his unfair executioner. Steve drew his diamond sword and pressed the tip against Herobrine's throat.

"He said to leave."

In response, Herobrine retreated backwards onto the ethereal purple mist, blue eyes locked onto his brother's deep brown.

Then the world turned black.

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**Please leave a rating if you liked this chapter! There's more to follow...**


	3. Death in the Nether

**Hello again! Sorry for such short chapters, I'm trying to make them longer :)**

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**Death in the Nether**

Hundreds of miles below ground, deeper than the lowest layer of impenetrable bedrock, an obsidian rectangle of swirling particles shimmered into existence, roughly ejecting it's one passenger back into the physical world. Herobrine staggered and fell, tearing the stitching holding together his stomach and causing a hot, crimson smear to spread down his side. The wounds no longer mattered to him anymore though. All that mattered was revenge.

Raising his head, Herobrine surveyed the bone-dry, arid landscape, stood on unsteady feet upon the plain of dull Netherrack, and took a deep, shuddering breath.

The sulphur-laden air burnt his lungs.

Herobrine had never been to the Nether before, had only read about it in the old books piled up in the darkest corner of the library, so he was completely unprepared for the sight that met his cerulean eyes. Soaring natural structures protruded from the hazy reddish mist, white-hot molten magma cascading off the overhangs like a hellish parody of a waterfall. Strange mobs, almost invisible in the distance, called to each other with deep grunts, hefting golden swords as if they weighed nothing.

Taking a few painful, hesitant steps, Herobrine became aware that the wound in his side was becoming worse. More worryingly, he could hear a dreadful, tortured howling echoing around the gigantic cavern, a noise that sent an icy chill down his spine and caused the pale hairs on his arms to rise.

A quick inventory check in the pack he had been given revealed bottled water, a small amount of food, an iron sword, and a bow with nearly half a stack of arrows. These he drew out, and nocked one in the bow with shaking fingers. He supposed the weapon was at least a small comfort, though with the burning pain in his side and one eye still not opening properly he probably couldn't hit a ghast at all.

Making sure to keep the inactive portal in sight, he set off towards the sound. It was a foolish thing to do in his state, but Herobrine no longer cared much for his well-being. If he died, so be it.

The moans grew louder and more defined as he rounded a low natural wall, and the sight beyond that greeted him made Herobrine's breath catch in his throat. A ghast, with an old scar across one eye and a dozen arrows protruding from it's milky hide, lay sprawled in the dirt, making a horrible, high-pitched screeching that caused Herobrine to wince in pain. The beast, upon noticing him, changed it's tone, emitting such a pathetic, hopeless keening wail that Herobrine dropped his bow and staggered over.

And so there he sat, patiently waiting for his own heart to stop beating, patiently waiting for the inevitable. He felt no self-pity, only twisted, hideous rage that blackened his insides and coated the roof of his mouth with a sick, acidic taste.

He recognised the fletching on the arrows that were slowly ending the ghast's life.

He had used them many times before, hunting with his accursed killer.

Notch.

Notch had done this.

A fat tear rolled lazily down the side of the ghast's face, running into the groove cut by the ragged scar, and splashed into the barely-conscious young man's eyes.

Herobrine slid on to his side; the world faded around him and, finally, he lay still.


	4. Die Another Day

**Longest chapter yet, and quite a funny one if I do say so myself. Anyway, enjoy!**

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**Die Another Day**

Light.

That was all he could see.

Brilliant, blazing white light that penetrated his screwed-up eyelids and caused a pulsing headache to throb at his temples like an unrelenting heartbeat. Herobrine moaned slightly, and tried to cover his eyes with his arms, but to no avail. He lay in that position for what seemed like an eternity, before finally finding the strength to sit up and look around. The strange light scattered instantly to the corners of his vision as he raised his head, then disappeared altogether.

_Well,_ Herobrine thought, _That was strange._

He soon realised the ghast was nowhere to be seen. Had it died? He'd heard that the creatures in the Nether dissolve when killed, but wasn't entirely sure it was true. No matter. Nothing in the Nether was fully explainable; even Notch, the most powerful Minecraftian alive didn't fully understand it's strange ways.

Herobrine finally managed to stand, automatically reaching out for a wall to lean on and support himself. Something wasn't right, though. His thoughts was clearer, more focused, and the pain in his side lessened. In fact, he couldn't feel anything at all.

He went to look down at his ribs, then realised with horror that the hand resting on the netherrack wall was submerged in a broiling column of flame. In his confusion, Herobrine hadn't noticed the block he had been resting against had caught light, and his arm with it.

"Crap!" He yelled, waving his arm around manically in an attempt to extinguish the flame. "For block's sake, why me?" Herobrine made a strange sight as he tripped and ricocheted off a wall, all the while trying to put out the fire spreading to his clothes. He stumbled over a small magma cube behind him, causing it to rouse angrily from sleep, and plunged off the soul sand ledge towards the raging lake of lava, cursing all the while.

Herobrine opened his eyes slowly; he had shut them tightly as he had fallen, but… surely it didn't take this long to fall to one's death, did it? Upon warily taking stock of his surroundings, one thing became clear. He was floating. Not just floating, flying! Arms outstretched, Herobrine hovered a couple of metres above the crusted magma's surface, one arm still wreathed in flickering orange flames. He supposed he looked quite fearsome, for even the half-dozen ghasts watching shied away from his blood-soaked figure.

_I wonder…_ He mused, gazing at the inferno in his palm.

He willed it to go out, and instantly he was no longer alight. Herobrine laughed with pure joy, and with the faintest thought ignited his whole body, cloaking himself in a jet of flame. Extending his palm, he sent a dense, compacted sphere of white-hot heat at the nearest solid surface, which combusted instantly into a river of molten rock.

Drifting over to the ground, still ecstatic in the discovery of his new abilities, he sent fireballs spiralling through the hazy atmosphere, causing the Nether's native mobs to scatter in fright. His eyes burned in their sockets, glowed pure brilliant white in the complete ecstasy of his powers.

Then he blacked out.

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The ghast with the old scar across one eye watched the ragged stranger talk to himself by the lava lake. The man was not a mob, that much the watcher knew. He was intelligent. He had gifts. The white ghost watched him practice, discover what he could do. It watched as Herobrine disappeared in a puff of purple particles, appearing a couple of blocks away. It drained him, though so after a few tries he would have to rest and nurse the still-not-healing wounds. In fact, although Herobrine was not aware of it, hours would pass without his heart beating at all. Lastly, Herobrine discovered the ability to blend in completely and perfectly with anything behind him so he could pass through the Nether undetected. Already a small house had sprung up beside the ethereal obsidian portal, tucked away out of sight so it would not be noticeable to anyone who arrived. Fascinated, the ghast observed the man making tools for himself, a strange netherrack pickaxe, a shovel, and finally, a shimmering (black and silver) quartz and obsidian sword.

Herobrine smiled, gazing with delight at the weapon in his palm, absentmindedly making flames lick up the edge of the blade.

_Let's see you take me now, Notch._

Unfortunately, the obsidian to craft the sword came from the very same Nether portal that had exiled him, so unless someone entered from the other side…

No point worrying about that now. Travelers occasionally entered the Nether, in search of ores, glowstone or simply for the challenge of fighting powerful mobs. The entrance of one such thrill-seeker, a young man, had first given Herobrine the idea of taking the obsidian from the portal. He remembered the moment fondly, sitting on the netherrack shelf he used for a bed.

H_erobrine could see the traveller in the far distance, clearly laden-down with Nether-quartz and nuggets of gold. He was well-equipped, decked out in full diamond armour, with an enchanted sword drawn in front of him. His skin was human, a tanned, darkish man with purple eyes and short, jet black hair. The guy hadn't died after all, as Herobrine had hoped. He looked guiltily at the large chunk of obsidian clearly missing from the side of the portal, wondering what to do. Certainly, the explorer wasn't going back that way._

_Quickly, Herobrine hid as the man crested the brow of the hill on which the portal was situated, but he didn't go straight for the portal as the once-dead man had expected. Instead, he rounded a corner, staring for a while at the house tucked away beyond._

_Herobrine's house._

Is he planning to rob me?_ Herobrine thought mockingly. Sure enough, after a quick perimeter check, the traveller forced open one of the large doors and slipped inside._

_Herobrine just smiled._

Could my day get any better?_ He clenched his fists, and instantly set them alight, a maniacal grin plastered on his face, his white, burning eyes contemplating the fun to be had ahead._**  
**

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**What does Herobrine have in store for this young man? Please leave a rating if you liked! :)**


	5. Bad Move

**Chapter 5 is here!**

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**Bad Move**

Zak lifted the lid of the wooden chest and crowed with delight as yet another treasure trove was revealed inside. Six stacks of glowstone dust, a bow, and half a stack of Nether quartz sparkled in the dim artificial light. Within moments, the chest was empty and Zak's inventory was full to bursting. In truth, he didn't feel as if he had to rush; the house looked as if it had lain empty for years.

_Probably some stupid noob's attempt at moving to the Nether,_ Zak supposed. _Don't see the attraction myself._

Still, what a find! He was surprised the residence hadn't been discovered and looted already, but it was well concealed behind a natural wall of Netherrack, the small automatic redstone opening completely flush with the burgundy surface.

_Maybe not a complete noob then._

It didn't matter who owned it - salvage rights after all.

Standing, Zak pushed open the door to the adjoining room and tiptoed through, just in case the house was still occupied. He was feeling uneasy. The sooner he got out the better; the silence gave him the creeps. Surely he had enough to sell on by now?

_Stop being such a wimp, it's only an old house._

SLAM! The tremendous noise echoed down the Nether brick corridor, causing Zak to jump in terror and shakily draw his diamond sword. Dust filtered down from the ceiling and, one by one, several of the torches he had placed blew out.

"What in the name of Notch?"

Now completely alert, he listened intently for any other sound to reach him, but the deafening silence had resumed once more.

"I know you're there!" He called, voice higher-pitched than he would have liked.

Nothing. Not the faintest whisper.

He shook his head. He would have heard footsteps if the owner of the property had returned. Probably just the wind causing the door he left ajar to slam shut.

Zak didn't know that no wind blew in the Nether.

The thrill that came from trespassing on another's turf was wearing off; all he wanted to do was escape with the small fortune in his inventory and head back to the overworld as soon as possible. Turning, he began to retrace his steps, only to find the way back blocked by several large red netherrack cubes.

"What the…?" Zak took out his pick and started to tunnel through the roughly-hewn rock. Before he could get half-way through, a subtle noise behind him, like a shoe scraping on stone, had him whirling and drawing his sword again. The corridor - the one that lead deeper into the house - was now lit only by a single redstone torch that cast unearthly flickering shadows on the walls.

"I'm armed," Zak called, his voice unsteady, "C-come out now unarmed and I won't hurt you. Hell, I'll even give you some of your stuff back, if you ask nicely."

He was sweating now, the constant anxiety making his knees want to fold. This was ridiculous. He was in a long-abandoned home, decked out in full diamond armour, with a store of enchanted weapons in his arsenal, and he was fretting over a torch and some falling blocks. After a quick glance around, he hurriedly finished mining through the blocks in his path, and stepped through into-

Another corridor?

"No, no, no! Where's the stupid exit?" Zak was sure the door had been visible before. Why were old houses so damn confusing? He ran down the corridor blindly, only to come face-to-face with a man leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and a smile on his face.

"Steve? Is that you? Oh my Notch, what happened to your side?"

The side of the figure's shirt was stained dark crimson, almost black in the dim red light. He put a hand to it, and the fingers came away stained with blood. Finally, he opened his eyes.

They were a blinding blank white.

"AAH! HELP!" Zak swung his sword blindly, and the apparition vanished in a cloud of purple particles. Before they had even faded, Zak had charged through them, bursting through the double doors to the outside world. He skidded round the corner wildly, kicking up ochre dust in his wake. Glancing behind him for any signs of pursuit, he leapt for the large obsidian portal.

The portal that was no longer functioning.

Zak screamed as he went straight through, then plummeted off the ledge on the other side of the obsidian frame. He fell straight down towards the searing pit of lava below, his feet almost plunging into the magma before Herobrine halted his progress.

"Stop screaming! You're giving me a headache." Herobrine growled, hovering in mid air eye-level with the now motionless boy. Zak quieted instantly, aware that Herobrine, who was holding his arm tightly, was the only thing between him and fiery death.

"I'm so sorry!" Zak sobbed, "I thought the place was unoccupied, I swear!"

"So you thought it was ok to steal someone else's property? Bad move." Snarling, Herobrine set his free hand alight and held it up to Zak's face, causing him to shriek in terror.

"No! Please!" All traces of Zak's cockiness vanished, and he desperately gripped the hem of Herobrine's shirt, burning his arm in the process. Slowly, Herobrine reached over and rummaged in Zak's inventory, removing his property and Zak's diamond sword.

"Take them! Take whatever you want, just please let me go!" Zak looked imploringly into Herobrine's burning white eyes, trembling uncontrollably.

"Fine. I'll let you go." Herobrine drifted backward slightly and, removing his hand, let the wailing youth fall.

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**Please leave a review if you enjoyed! Any ideas for the name of a future female main character will be welcome :)**


	6. Steve

**Steve**

"You have to let me! He's my friend!"

"You know I cannot permit you to go after him, Steve." Notch said sadly, "No one is allowed through the portal now."

Steve, exasperated, turned his back to Notch, absently running one hand through his dark hair in distress. He was standing in the private quarters of Notch's grand house, a space usually only reserved for the leader of the village himself. Any other day, Steve would be excited, open mouthed in wonder at the grandeur surrounding him, but today he could only focus on one thing.

"Please, he's been missing for a week and… he's my friend, ok. I can't let him down like that."

Softening, Notch approached the distraught young man and placed his weather-worn hands on his shoulders.

"You said he told his friends that he was to travel to the Nether, right?" Notch asked.

Steve nodded. "Zak should have returned days ago, he never stays this long."

"I will ignore your friend's blatant disregard of the rules by entering the Nether on one condition," The village leader sighed, "If you were to… somehow slip by our guards and light the portal on your own, then you would also bring Nathan with you."

Shocked, Steve understood that Notch was giving him the backhanded go-ahead, as long as Nathan (a Nether-warrior himself) accompanied him.

"Thank you," Steve murmured.

Notch inclined his head slightly. "This conversation never took place."

"I - I need to go find Nathan and explain."

"Nathan has already been informed."

Steve was confused. No one knew they were there, and Steve had only raised his concerns about his friend a few hours before.

"How-"

"I suspected you'd want to go and look for him yourself, and it's common knowledge that the two of you are good friends. In fact, Nathan was the one who first brought the subject up a couple of days ago." As if the timing had been planned, Nathan pushed the door open and entered wearing his full set of iron and diamond armour, with a large sword at his side. Steve raised one eyebrow; he hadn't expected Nathan to be so overcautious.

Notch brought Steve aside and spoke to him quietly. "You can't let your guard down. I know you think my brother is no threat, but trust me, he is a lot more dangerous than you realise. Keep your distance if you see him, but if he sees you, don't hesitate to use this."

Notch now handed Steve a new sword to replace the iron one on his belt. As soon as Steve took it, he could sense the power contained within, rippling across the surface of the diamond blade like spilt oil.

"Wow! I've never seen a sword like this before." Even Nathan stared at the weapon with awe, and Steve knew he was jealous. Still in a slight daze from Notch's words, he attached his new sword to his hip, where it hung there perfectly balanced.

"Better get moving, Steve," Notch sighed, "I hope you find Zak soon."

And so the two young men exited quietly, leaving Notch to retire to his chair and ponder over his dear brother's fate.

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Herobrine lay, sighing, on his makeshift bed. "I wonder if my brother spares a thought for me," He mused out loud. "Probably not, as he was the one who exiled me here for a crime I didn't commit. You knew full well I was innocent, my backstabbing brother."

He hadn't exercised his power in a few days, for his wounds healed quicker if he just lay still and didn't exert any energy. Herobrine had found that he healed at a phenomenal rate, faster than any human could, and that simple injuries like being half torn open did not cause him pain at all. In fact, he felt healthier than ever; the strange force keeping him alive had also boosted his strength and stamina. One the gash in his side had healed up, he could rejoin the overworld and, finally, strike fear into the heart of his hated brother.

"I shall not attack him directly," The white-eyed man thought, "Rather, I shall drum up a little fear in the settlements first. That should not be hard. I will make the people curse their leader's name, and then I shall face him."

He sighed again. All he needed now was for some poor fool to open the-

What was that noise? Could it be-?"

Carefully, so as to not stretch the pinkish scar tissue around his waist, Herobrine sat up and listened intently. Much to his delight, the telltale groaning hum of an opening portal reached his ears. Before the thought had crossed his mind, he was up and pulling on his shirt, wary of his wounds but already savouring the look on his prey's face. Herobrine was glad the shirt was so ripped up and bloody - it made him look more fearsome, like a proper threat.

Sneaking down towards the raised platform that held the obsidian rectangle, he could see that two people had emerged from it's depths, their faces too far away for him to make out. That was strange; after his exile, Herobrine had assumed that the portal would have been constantly guarded, so how could these men have snuck past Notch's guards?

It did not occur to him that Notch himself could have sent them.


	7. Payback

**Payback**

"Man, this place is a dump." Steve adjusted his pack and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead; he was already perspiring in the arid Nether heat. Nathan had arrived before him and, smiling, brushed the long fringe out of his eyes, glancing at his companion.

"Believe me, you get used to it."

Crouching low, he surveyed the cracked ground upon which the pair stood, inspecting the crumbling surface intently.

"I can't see any clear marks - the rock is too dry and hard. We're going to have to look for him ourselves."

Steve sighed, resigning himself to a long, hot, sunless day of aimless searching. The pair trudged down the steep decline together, swords drawn, though not too worried about any threat. After all, Nathan was a highly experienced fighter, and Steve practised regularly in the villages' small training room.

Steve's gaze wandered at random over the soaring natural rock formations, too worried for his friend to admire them. Slowly, he began to realise something strange - a patch of rock tucked away behind the glowing purple portal looked too flat to be natural.

Steve left Nathan to his searching and paced up to it, running his hands over the smooth surface.

"Hey Nathan," He called softly, so as not to disturb any of the Nether's inhabitants, "Does this look… man-made to you?"

He heard his companion move up behind him; turning, Steve opened his mouth to continue, but realised Nathan wasn't there.

"Uh… Nathan?" He scoured the immediate area and found nothing - the young man was now becoming decidedly panicked. He raised his sword in the flat half-light, feeling it's infused power glow and fluctuate in response.

"I swear to Notch, if you're messing with me Nathan…" He muttered, blue eyes narrowing in distress.

THERE! Something pale and menacing flickered in his peripheral vision; he whirled but it had vanished into the hazy Nether fog. Running footsteps echoed behind the trembling Minecraftian, and he angrily spun round, only to see nothing once again. "For block's sake!" Steve cried, gripping the blade tightly.

He closed his eyes, and counted off several deep breaths. "Not real. Not real. Not real…"

Noises were emanating from all around him now, the patter of feet on stone, the screech of nails down a blockboard, the iniquitous whispers of a mad sinner. Steve was yelling now, trying to drown out the din. "Not real. Not real. Not REAL!" He slashed blindly at the air in front of him, then clenched both hands over his ears, dropping his sword in the process.

Suddenly, the noises all stopped, and deafening silence resumed once again. Steve stood shakily, hands trembling as he picked up his enchanted blade.

Then Herobrine melted into the visible spectrum behind him.

"Well well, I have a visitor." The demon hissed, slamming his heel hard onto Steve's tailbone. The miner gasped in sudden pain and staggered, but managed to remain standing. The white-eyed man grinned and disappeared in a shower of purple particles.

"Show yourself, coward!"

Steve took an unconscious step backwards as Herobrine materialised in front of him, blank eyes blazing with malice and power.

"Did you miss me, _Steve_?" Herobrine smirked cruelly.

"Brine?" Recognition flashed across Steve's face at the sight of his white-eyed doppelganger. He noticed the man was empty-handed; that gave Steve the advantage.

Herobrine then set his right hand alight, thus removing every last shred of Steve's self-confidence.

"That's right," Herobrine had noticed the horrified expression on the other's face, and it caused his still heart to fill with joy. "I'm not so helpless anymore."

"What have you done with Nathan? And Zak? What happened to you, Brine?" Steve couldn't stop the questions tumbling out of him, even when facing down his possible doom. His palms were coated in sweat, yet he was reluctant to lower his sword and wipe them clean.

Herobrine glided closer, his feet a few centimeters off the ground. He would never admit it, but this blatant show of power was costing him. His wounds had all but stopped healing, and the partly-sealed gash across his middle was mottled with purple bruising.

Steve certainly wasn't aware of Herobrine's limits, though. The guy was trembling so hard he shook like a leaf in a high wind.

"Where are N-Nathan and Zak?" Steve reiterated, trying to sound as if he was in command and failing miserably. "Tell me, or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Herobrine snapped, "Take me down? Look at you, you barely have the strength to swing a sword! Weedy humans like you are so fun to toy with."

Steve roared in anger, swiping his blade at the figure before him, but Herobrine just ported to the far wall, his blank eyes mocking Steve's efforts. "One like you came through here before. I suppose I am correct in assuming he _was_ your friend Zak."

"W-was?" Steve's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Yes. Such a pity. You see, I caught him stealing my property, and stealing is not something I take kindly to. So, I decided he should take a little swim." Tauntingly, he glanced at the nearest pool of molten lava. "Care to join him?"

Steve sprinted at Herobrine, bellowing with rage at the loss of his friend. Herobrine remained cooly leaning against the Netherrack wall, smirking, then at the last second ported behind his unfortunate adversary, spinning him round and pinning him to the Netherrack surface with inhuman strength. Slender fingers wrapped around Steve's throat, cutting off his air supply and starting to crush his windpipe.

"Please…We… Can… Help… You…" He gasped.

"I am beyond you help. All you need to do now is die." Darkness started eating at the corner of Steve's vision; the oxygen deprivation was taking it's toll on his battered body. He couldn't break the iron grip on his neck, couldn't swing his sword or even move his arms as they were pinned to his sides. In desperation he started kicking out with his legs, landing a hard blow on Herobrine's still-healing scar.

"AGH!" Herobrine cried, more out of shock than pain as he felt the tissue rip open once again. Steve felt the vice-like grip loosen slightly, and it was all he needed to slip out from Herobrine's grasp. Sucking in a huge gulp of air, the fog in his head cleared and he aimed another kick at the white-eyed man on the floor before him.

Herobrine wailed as all the tedious healing he had gone through was undone by one swift blow. His head hit the floor; stars blossomed across his vision and he curled up in pain.

"That's for Zak, you white-eyed freak," Steve spat, resting the point of his sword under Herobrine's chin and forcing the man to raise his head, "Now tell me where Nathan is."

Herobrine opened his mouth and attempted to form a snide comment, but blood started staining his shirt once again and the world turned black.

* * *

**Please leave a rating if you enjoyed! (Holy Notch, 400+ views already! I feel so popular! As this is my first fan fic, some constructive criticism would be much appreciated. Thanks!)**


	8. At My Mercy

**At My Mercy**

_"Come on," Misa taunted, twirling her sword like a conductor's baton, "What are you waiting for?"_

_They paced round each other as they bantered, treading lightly on the spongy wooden floor of the training area. Herobrine noticed a small crowd had gathered to watch, but couldn't let the expectant gazes distract him. He was relieved when a member of staff approached the huddle of onlookers and advised them to move on, so the two Minecraftians in the main ring could have some peace._

_He smiled, raising his weapon. "You ready to get your butt kicked?"_

_"Get real blue-eyes, you don't have a chance against yours truly." Misa stepped forwards at the end of that last sentence, but Herobrine was ready and their blades clashed harmlessly. Every strike she made, he parried with ease, slowly backing her into one of the corners of the sparring room. Her lunges became weaker and he could sense victory as he knocked the sword from her hands. Laughing at Misa's sour expression, he raised his own sword in victory._

_"You'll have to do better than-"_

_Suddenly, Misa kicked out, sweeping his legs from under him. Taken by surprise, Herobrine landed hard on his front, jarring his spine. When his vision finally cleared, he rolled over, seeing that Misa had reclaimed her sword and was pointing it at his chest._

_"Was that better?"_

_Herobrine shrugged - a weak attempt at nonchalance - and smiled._

_"I suppose. Wasn't perfect though." Misa laughed, her dark silky hair, now drenched in sweat, falling in her eyes._

_She helped him up and, both thoroughly worn out, they headed back to their respective houses to get changed. Herobrine realised that their presence did not go unnoticed in the small village; the pair drew many curious gazes as they headed down the main high street. Misa smiled at him before they parted, and he took a moment to appreciate how beautiful she was. The two of them weren't a couple, just friends, and Herobrine wanted to keep it that way, but that particular way she looked at him-_

* * *

Herobrine awoke to find himself lying on his side, with his hands tied behind him. A quick glance around confirmed he was inside his house by the Nether portal; Steve must have found it after Herobrine fell. Steve hadn't noticed his captive was now conscious, as he had his back to him, the diamond sword resting across his lap with his hand wrapped firmly around the hilt. Staring out at the sea of lava beyond, Steve sighed, and turned his head to check on the other man.

Seeing him glance round, Herobrine quickly shut his eyes, but Steve noticed the movement and raised his sword. "I know you're awake, freak, so you can stop pretending."

Calmly, Herobrine opened his white eyes and smiled up at his captor. "Steve. What a… pleasant surprise."

The miner bared his teeth. "Don't annoy me - you'll regret it." Once again, Herobrine felt a sword pressed up against his throat, the blade warm and strangely luminescent in the stifling Nether heat. A bead of blood ran down the underside of his jaw and he grimaced slightly.

"Tell me where he is."

"Nathan is alive. He is in the cellar downstairs." Herobrine hoped that Steve would leave without him, but no such luck. He found himself being dragged along behind the fuming man, the scar tissue across his stomach stretching and subjecting him to waves of pain and tiredness. The pair stumbled down the compact Netherrack stairway until they came to a large obsidian and quartz door, made from the offcuts of Herobrine's sword.

"How do you open this? Tell me." Steve snarled, meeting Herobrine's glare for a second before having to look away. It made Herobrine smile to know that Steve was still afraid of him, even in his weakened state.

"There's a key round my neck."

Quickly, Steve grasped the thin chain and snapped it, releasing the small iron key. Steve absently wondered how Herobrine had managed to make all this, but put the thought to the back of his mind, as it was unimportant. The door swung open silently on well-maintained hinges, and Nathan looked up from the small space beyond, his face lighting up in a smile.

"Well well, how the tables have turned." Rising on shaky legs, Nathan stalked over to Herobrine and backhanded him across the face. Steve struggled to support the man's weight as he lost balance for a moment, stumbling backwards into a wall. Nathan smiled in triumph at he saw the two struggle, but what he didn't know was that Herobrine had used the distraction to burn through the ties on his wrists. Keeping his arms behind his back, he tried to appear weak and broken (which wasn't hard), and allowed the two Minecraftians to lead him back up the stairs.

A little while later, Steve finally worked up the courage to talk to Nathan, who's dark pent-up anger was scaring him a little. "What do we do now?" He murmured, keeping his voice low and one eye on their sleeping captive.

"I say we finish him off," Nathan growled, "He's not supposed to still be alive anyway."

Steve was shocked. Since when had the warrior become so cold-hearted?

"No, I… I couldn't just kill someone like that. It's wrong." Frowning, Nathan gripped Steve by the shoulders, staring into his eyes and forcing the trembling man to look at him.

"He killed Zak, Steve. You have the man who murdered your friend at your mercy and you want to let him go?" Nathan's voice had become somewhat hysterical with pain and loss, "Zak was my mate too, so if you don't have the guts to finish him off then I will." Gripping his sword, Nathan went to stand but his friend grabbed his arm pleadingly.

"No! You can't!"

Nathan shook Steve off and turned to the Netherrack bed with murder in his eyes, only to stop short in confusion. He rushed to the bedside and flung away the covers, but deep in his heart he already knew.

Herobrine had gone.

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**Nathan lived! But for how long... (Not a spoiler, just wanted to make this sound dramatic)**


	9. What I Have Seen

**Hey guys! Sorry for the boring chapter, I promise there will be more action (and Herobrine) in the next one! But in the meantime, read, enjoy, and don't forget to leave a rating!**

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**What I have seen**

_Three weeks later_

Notch strode down towards the village's main chamber, cape fluttering, forehead creased in intense concentration. Already he could hear the hushed murmur of worried voices and the shuffle of aching feet; nearly the whole village was crammed into a space designed for half that number. Some, however, had elected to remain in their homes, claiming that it was dangerous for so many to be gathered in a single area.

For it was dangerous.

No one could fully describe it - a sense of being constantly watched, objects moving on their own, huge waves of mobs hiding in the shadows and snatching up clueless passers-by. All the general population could verbalise was that something was… _off_ about the village. A demon, they called it, hunting for it's own pleasure with immense power at it's disposal. The disappearances were few and far between, but they were definitely there. _He_ was definitely there.

Absolute silence fell as Notch marched into the decorative hall, over a thousand eyes suspiciously observing his every move. No one moved until the leader had taken his place at the head of the long table facing them, then the questions came thick and fast from the panicked crowd.

"What's going on?"

"Who's behind this?"

"Why are people being taken?"

Notch held up a hand; when that had no effect on the noise he stood once again. "Silence!"

He gazed at the throng before him, quiet now but not placid, and began to speak. His voice was clear, loud and strong, and echoed around the oversized hall.

"Listen, I don't know everything. I don't have all the answers here OK, nobody does. The one thing I do know however, is that we are being toyed with. There is an evil stalking this town, and I intend to put an end to it."

"What do we do?" A voice rang out from the multitude, "Just sit back and wait to be taken as well?"

"No. I believe this… demon is using you people to get to me. Anyone who is not directly connected with me should be relatively safe as long as you lock your doors and do not go out at night. Those who are… I have spoken to in private. In the mean time, I shall spend every waking moment searching for this evil and, when I find it, I shall take it down."

This short speech garnered a roar of approval from the mob, and had everyone excited and reassured, safe in the knowledge that Notch would be able to restore peace and order to their small community.

Well, almost everyone.

Slouching by the back door, a hooded figure clenched his fists in anticipation at the battle that lay ahead. He smiled grimly and left, catching the door before it swung shut so it would not slam. On his way out, a panicked young Minecraftian pushed past him, almost knocking him to the ground in his haste. The cloaked man snarled, and turned to get a better look at the rude young mortal, but with a jolt realised he recognised him.

_So he did make it back,_ Herobrine thought happily, watching the man enter the grand hall. _This should be interesting._

* * *

Much to his annoyance, Notch's speech had been interrupted by a lone figure bursting into the chamber from the back door. Half-formed condescending words died on his tongue as he appraised the intruder properly, noting the dark stains on his ripped garments and the haunted expression in his green eyes. The man crashed straight through the assembled villagers and leapt onto the stage, gripping the hem of Notch's shirt.

"Please! Help me!" He slipped sideways, obviously in great pain, and slid to the floor, his fall arrested slightly by Notch's attempt to cushion his fall.

"Calm down, you're going to be fine." The leader soothed, motioning to the curious crowd to keep their distance, "What happened to you?"

"Horrible! Horrible! The eyes!" The man wailed incoherently, shaking his head from side to side, "So bright, too bright, I couldn't get away!" Patiently, Notch ignored the murmurings of the restless throng and tried to focus on the wounded man's babblings.

"Maybe we should take this man to somewhere private, and get his wounds treated." Notch said to Steve, who - after returning to the overworld from the Nether with what he had witnessed - had become one of Notch's most trusted allies. Steve was about to agree, when a lone woman spoke out from the crowd.

"We have the right to know what he was seen!" She called, followed by murmurs of assent from the watching Minecraftians, "Let him tell his story!"

Steve sighed, closing his eyes. couldn't they see the man was seriously hurt? The wounded young miner, alerted by the sigh, glanced up at Steve, seeing him for the first time. His mouth dropped open and he recoiled in terror, his voice rising an octave in fright, "Demon! Get away from me! Get away!" Steve opened his eyes again, confused as to the other's reaction. Upon seeing his blue irises, the man relaxed slightly, sighing in relief.

"Oh. Sorry, y-you look like… like him."

Steve instantly understood, the man's retroaction confirming his suspicions. He glanced at Notch; the village leader had come to the same conclusion he had.

"So he returned. This does not bode well." Notch murmured.

"Are we missing something here?" A young female uttered from the circle of onlookers.

Notch stood to address them once again, his mouth set in a hard line. "We know who is behind this. One who, for some twist of nature, bears the same likeness as Steve."

Realisation slowly filtered through the throng of villagers, along with it muttered snatches of conversation.

"He doesn't mean-"

"Isn't he Notch's-"

"Wasn't Misa Amane-"

"Wait, we killed that guy, right?"

"My brother," Notch finally announced, "Is not dead. He was exiled to the Nether as a punishment for his crime." This confession drew a torrent of outraged accusations, yet Notch simply waved them away. "Herobrine is dangerous and unstable, and has access to some… unsavoury power. I do not know what twisted turn of events caused this tragic event, but be warned. He is not to be trusted. For anyone who doesn't know, Herobrine looks uncannily like Steve, except-"

"He has eyes that g-glow." The wounded man lying on the stage, almost forgotten in the commotion, now spoke up in fear. "They glow with the light of a thousand suns, yet s-spread only darkness."

Absolute silence reigned as the onlookers tried to comprehend this new information. Finally, Notch spoke, shattering the reticence with his smooth voice.

"Go, all of you. Back to your homes. I shall deal with this."

Steve and the rest of the villagers left in a hush, lowering the now-unconscious miner onto a stretcher to take him to the infirmary. Notch, slumped on the edge of the wooden stage, sat hunched in the quiescence, contemplating the days ahead.


	10. Puny Mortals

**New chapter here! Sorry this one is so short - there's quite a lot of action in the next and I didn't want to rush it. Anyway, enjoy!**

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**Puny Mortals**

Finally, the young man had awoken from his slumber. Herobrine had begun to wonder if he was ever to wake at all; the mortal had slept throughout the day and was only just rousing from sleep as the sun set, unaware of the white-eyed man at the foot of his bed. There was no food in the house - Herobrine had made sure of that - so the farmer would have to go and search for food in the dead of night. The higher being smiled as he recalled the night before, the night of Notch's speech, that had gone so perfectly. In all honesty, he had expected the miner to die before even reaching the village, his wounds were so deep, but once again the resilience of mortals had surprised him. Being beaten by that idiot Steve in the Nether, though… That was just embarrassing.

Herobrine slowly blended into the shadows as the handsome (for a mortal) young farmer sat up and rubbed his eyes, before noticing the sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon.

"Holy Notch, I slept for a whole day?" He muttered, shaking the fog of sleep from his head. "What is the world coming to?"

A few steps behind, Herobrine followed the farmer invisibly down the oak staircase, slamming the bedroom door simply to make the human jump. It had the desired effect, startling the clueless man but not arousing any suspicion of a hunter nearby. Perfect. Herobrine's mood improved further at the farmer's reaction to the sudden lack of food in the house; Still unaware of another presence nearby, the man had sworn loudly and creatively, even stamping a foot in anger. And so, with twilight well and truly over, the white-eyed mystery followed his target out the of the house, aiming to find food in the darkness.

"How could this day get any worse?" The man complained, keeping a wary eye out for any mobs lurking in the darkness, "What did I do to deserve this? Bloody village should at least put up some damn lights."

Herobrine had to stop himself from finishing him off there and then. It was so tempting, but he needed the arrogant fool to carry a message for him; a nice little follow-up from yesterday's drama. Glancing up once again, he noticed the target was far enough away for him to become visible once more, to save his power for tomorrow. He began his pursuit at a leisurely pace, always far enough behind not to be spotted but close enough to keep the other man in sight. Occasionally, Herobrine would break a branch in his hand or rustle the leaves of the tree closest to him, and every time it provoked a fearful reaction.

"Screw this!" The young man said out loud, "I should be close by now, where's the damn settlement?" He drew his sword angrily, hacking at the foliage in frustration as he meandered down the cobblestone path. That did it. Herobrine stalked up behind his unaware victim and tapped him on the shoulder - staying just long enough for the target to catch a glimpse of his burning eyes - before porting away.

"What the?! Who's there?" The fear was obvious in the man's brave shout, strained terror cracking his voice and forging him to gulp audibly. Herobrine could tell he hadn't expected an answer, but gave him one anyway. He materialised by a rusted old streetlamp, his presence causing the worn-out glowstone to flicker and die, leaving Herobrine's eyes the only light visible.

"Oh Notch, no! Not you!" In a fraction of a second, Herobrine ported closer, now only a metre away from the Minecraftian's quivering face.

"Take somebody else, not me! Please, take someone else!" Enraged by the human's cowardice, Herobrine grasped his prey's collar and hurled him effortlessly down the cobble pathway, taking most of the skin off his knees. His slide was abruptly arrested by an old oak tree; slamming into it at great speed, he heard something in his chest groan and crack. An explosive wave of pain followed, and Herobrine, pleased, watched the man's face contort in agony.

"Leave me alone!" Gasping and clutching at his chest, he bolted, attempting to run back towards his home only to have Herobrine appear, once again, in front of him. Herobrine scowled as the man, going far too fast to stop, slammed into the being's chest. The impact would have sent any normal human flying, but Herobrine didn't move an inch. Instead, he tossed the unfortunate civilian into the air, his wail of terror cut short by him hitting the ground hard.

Dazed and bloodied, he could only watch as the Steve double approached him, could only lie there and imagine what Herobrine had in store for him.

"What… Do… You… Want…?"

Herobrine grinned, setting his hand on fire and curling it into a fist, which he brandished tauntingly at the downed human.

"I want you to run back to your leader. Tell him… Tell him that _I_ am coming." His voice rasped like the screech of blades clashing, tainted with a deep undertone of power that caused a very suspect water start to seep through the seat of the terrified man's trousers.

"Tell him that his brother is coming home."

* * *

**Information - Herobrine Rising is slowly but surely drawing to a close, but don't worry! I will be starting a new Herobrine fic after this that should (hopefully) be a little longer. Anyway, rate if you enjoyed and watch out for the surprise twi- **

**I've said enough...**

**(Oh, I may "accidentally" kill some popular youtubers in the next chapter. Please do not leave horrible comments like, "Oh how could you do that you monster! You're worse than Herobrine" etc. etc. Just for the record, I subscribe to them and really enjoy their videos, I was just stuck for names :)**


	11. Last Stand

**It's double post day! I know, I promised more action in this chapter, but I got a little... uh... carried away writing about our hero's thoughts. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Last Stand **

"HEROBRINE!" The painfully loud shout echoed across the once-peaceful valley, agitating the cattle basking in the warm afternoon sunlight. Birds, startled, took flight in a huge cawing cloud of feathers, while many smaller creatures, incapable of such escape, merely hid in trees or underground in small cave systems.

"HEROBRINE!" Villagers drew the shutters across their windows, praying the frail wooden structures would protect them. Only a handful had elected to stay outside - Steve, Notch and a few other trusted guardsmen - Sky, Daxx, Bajan and Echo. Secretly, Steve was relieved at the number of volunteers, and their commitment towards protecting the village. He felt as if he could trust them with his-

"HEROBRINE!" Notch cried again, head tilted up into the sun's glare as he recalled the previous day's events. A man, bloodied and terrified, had entered the village the night before, bearing a chilling message that scared Steve to the core.

_Notch, your brother is coming home…_

"HEROBRINE!" Sky winced at the shout yet again, wishing Notch would turn the volume down just a little. He wasn't afraid. Decked out in full budder armour, with his lucky sword at his side shining with golden iridescence, he couldn't afford to be afraid. When Notch had asked for volunteers to join the final fight, he hadn't hesitated, although Sky knew deep down it could be his last.

"HEROBRINE!" Glancing at the others, Bajan knew he could never shut out his fear like they could. But maybe that was a good thing. After all, fear kept you alive, and ignoring your body's warning signs surely wasn't healthy. Still, Bajan wished that just once, just today, he could look an adversary in the eyes and feel the same reckless courage that Sky always could.

"HEROBRINE!" Guilt was all that Steve could feel. He, unlike everyone else, had had the chance to put an end to the suffering before it had even started. He could still feel the point of his sword pressing up against Herobrine's exposed neck, and the dark thrill of having a being at his utter mercy. But no, he had been weak. Why oh why was he so _weak_? Why had he ignored the warnings and let his guard down, why had he stopped Nathan from exacting revenge? Why did he have to always listen to his conscience, his foolish, misguided sense of morality?

Why couldn't he kill?

"HEROBRINE!" Daxx glanced at Echo and tried to muster a reassuring grin; all that he managed was a lemon-sucking grimace. He had tried to persuade her to take shelter like the others, but Echo was far too proud to pass up an opportunity to fight, even without a hope of winning. Deep down, they both knew that Notch was to be the only real resistance against Herobrine. Notch shone (quite literally) with unseen, almost godly power, causing Daxx to wonder if there was more to the "man" than met the eye. He knew that Echo shared his thoughts, as the two were such close friends - and had fought together so many times - that they had developed a strong mental connection.

He hoped against hope that the connection would not be severed today.

Notch opened his mouth to shout his brother's name once more, but decided against it. There was no doubt the being was nearby, and had heard him loud and clear. Now, he just had to wait for his brother to finally make an appearance, finishing off the brave men and women before him before turning on Notch himself. As much as he wished to feel nothing but hate for the crimes one of his blood had committed, he still felt only pity and regret.

It was his fault people had died, his fault his own brother had been corrupted by grief.

Stop. There was no use regretting actions in the past. They were set in stone; nothing short of a God could turn back time. No - not _even_ a God could. Notch understood this better than most, as his status and power had not been the result of his leadership skills alone.

He was still pondering on this when a cry came from up ahead - a warning sent from one of the tower guards. Each member of the small group became instantly alert, shaking off the drowsiness from lack of sleep and the suffocating fog of their own thoughts.

"Form together!" Sky commanded, temporarily forgetting Notch's supremacy over him. He took point, allowing Daxx and Echo to fall in either side of him, much to Bajan's annoyance.

"Hey-" He started to protest, but Sky cut him off with one cold glare.

"Herobrine can teleport, Bajan. We need someone to cover our backs."

Grumbling, Bajan maneuvered himself behind Notch and the other three warriors, turning his back to them defiantly. He should be beside Sky, up at the front with Notch, not covering their backs like a useless burden. He sighed, wishing his friend Deadlox had decided to accompany him. The long-haired joker was revered for his fighting abilities, but had been wounded in a daring battle with half a dozen skeletons so was unfit to fight.

It didn't seem likely that Herobrine would concentrate on him much - after all, three more experienced Minecraftians and his greatest enemy were all now in one place, so Bajan resigned himself to a day spent futilely trying to help from the sidelines, but not actually engaging in any action himself.

Then Herobrine materialised in front of him and all hell broke loose.

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**Oh noes! A cliffhanger! I still haven't decided who should live and who should die yet, so make sure to leave a comment or request. Remember, _YOU_ could be the one to save Sky, Bajan, or any others! Rate if you enjoyed!**


	12. Come back, brother

**Well, here it is, the much awaited battle chapter! Before it begins though, here's a shout-out about my two favourite authors on this site. you should go and check them out!**

**1) BlackDragon41 - Creator of the incredible "Hero's Bane" and "57 Under", her minecraft stories are absolutely perfect!**

**2)Archerthewarlock - I can't count the number of times I've read "Mortal" and "Danger". These Herobrine fics are exquisite :)**

* * *

**Come back, brother**

Bajan didn't even have time to cry out before the white-eyed monster was upon him. He received a sharp elbow to the stomach and a kick to the knee, causing him to drop the ground in sudden agony, unable to make a sound to warn his friends. The loud clatter of a body hitting gravel alerted the other Minecraftians, but by the time they had turned Herobrine had ported away.

"Oh Notch, what happened to you?" Daxx knelt and helped Bajan up, a long stream of crimson trickling lazily from a gash in the Canadian's temple.

"He… He was there…" Breathlessly, Bajan stared at the slight indentations in the uneven ground before him, the only sign of Herobrine's presence. Then, trembling, he glanced up at Sky. "I couldn't…"

"It's OK. We weren't ready," Sky soothed, "We are now, tho-"

A blur of green registered in Bajan's peripheral vision, and Sky was roughly hurled to one side by the force of the impact. He grunted as his shoulder impacted against a sturdy birchwood tree, splintering it's trunk in the process and causing wooden shards to pepper his arms. After a long pause to stop the world around him from spinning, Sky stood on unsteady feet and rejoined the group, his budder sword clasped tightly in his grip.

"Show yourself, coward!"

The warriors all took a collective step backwards as Herobrine materialised a few metres away, a maniacal grin adorning his features. Daxx had a feeling Herobrine saw them as nothing more than entertainment, stray obstacles to be picked off at his leisure. Well he planned to change that.

Herobrine remained still and unmoving as Daxx foolishly charged at him, face contorted in a snarl. Just before Daxx's sword would have sliced him in two, Herobrine's own quartz and obsidian weapon melted into his hand, the point lethal and glinting in the harsh sunlight. Suddenly, Daxx was forced to retreat, parrying the blade headed for his chest, the impact of the two weapons colliding jarring his shoulder badly. He executed attack after attack, block after block, but couldn't get past Herobrine's guard as the being's form was perfect.

Sky was still unsteady on his feet; he knew attempting to fight in his condition was suicide, so he could only watch as Daxx started to waver under Herobrine's relentless onslaught. Turning his head, he could see that Notch hadn't moved since the battle had begun.

_What's he waiting for?_ Sky thought angrily. _We're getting killed here!_

It was true. Daxx had been backed into a corner, Bajan was trembling in fear, Echo was staring in horror at Daxx, Notch wasn't lifting a finger to help, and Sky himself still couldn't muster the strength to stand unaided. It wasn't looking good. Daxx wouldn't be able to hold Herobrine off for long, and when he fell…

Before Sky could act on this thought, Steve advanced, growling with hatred, a murderous gleam in his eyes. Any sensible human would have been downright terrified at Steve's savage, brutal glare, but Herobrine just laughed confidently, casually slamming Daxx into the foliage with the hilt of his sword.

"Bring it on, _Steve_." Herobrine grinned, "Make Zak proud."

Goaded into action, Steve roared in outrage, sprinting towards his best friend's killer. Herobrine let him advance, an almost bored expression plastered across his features, then (once Steve was close enough) slammed a red-hot fist into his windpipe. The surprised miner, unable to breathe, fell to his knees, and Herobrine dealt him a swift kick to the forehead that knocked him unconscious.

"Pathetic." Herobrine hissed, turning his attention back to Daxx, who had finally extricated himself from the shrubbery.

Echo, unseen by the two warriors, had maneuvered herself behind the white-eyed individual, and - in an attempt to throw him off balance - slashed at the back of his legs, managing to cause a small patter of blood to stain the dusty ground. Herobrine snarled in discomfort, the minor wound already healing, and sliced open the side of Echo's shoulder. She screamed, clutching at the gash with bloodied fingers, then hit the ground hard as Herobrine's fist connected with her jaw.

"Echo!" Distraught, Daxx fought with a renewed vigour, hacking away at the man in front of him. There was no method to his fighting anymore, no tactic, and Herobrine took full advantage of this grief-blinded mistake.

The quartz and obsidian sword slipped under Daxx's guard, and smoothly pierced right through his chest.

"NO!" Finally, coerced into action, Sky leapt into the fray, Bajan hot on his heels. The Canadian hovered protectively over Daxx, while Sky's solid budder boots slammed into Herobrine's chest. The white-eyed monster grimaced, hearing several of his ribs groan in protest. He swung at Sky, but the Minecraftian dodged the blade easily and replied with a swift swipe of his own. A few crimson splashes dotted the gravel, Herobrine's expression contorting as he felt the skin on his front tear and split. It began to heal, but far too slowly, and Herobrine's momentary loss of concentration enabled Sky to disarm him with a swift flick of his budder sword.

"Stop this madness." Sky pleaded as Herobrine staggered, holding his injury, which was more serious than he had previously thought. Herobrine's legs gave out, and he lunged for his sword, but Bajan hefted it in his free hand and rested the fine edge against the being's throat.

"I don't think so, freak."

Herobrine just sighed. How many times had he been in this situation? And how many times did the humans ever manage to restrain him?

"Holding me at sword-point isn't going to work, idiot. To stop me, you'll have to kill me." He stared hard at Bajan, knowing the trembling Minecraftian wouldn't be able to kill a man at his mercy. Sure enough, the sword's tip wavered as the bloodied Canadian licked his lips in distress. The slight hesitation was all Herobrine needed; before anyone could even blink, Herobrine had leapt at Bajan and reclaimed his weapon, holding his captive tight around the throat with the sword pointing up into his jaw.

"This is how you hold a man hostage." Herobrine whispered melevolently, sending chills down Bajan's spine. "Drop your weapons, or the Canadian gets it."

Slowly, Sky laid his budder sword down, as did Echo, who was pale and shivering from blood loss but still able to stand. Daxx lay bloodied and motionless, splayed out on the ground a few metres away, and Steve remained unconscious from the cruel blow to his head.

Herobrine became aware of a formidable presence behind him; turning, he saw Notch making his way down the main gravel street, weaponless, a concerned frown knitting his eyebrows together. Bajan gulped, boxed in by two imposing Minecraftians, causing a small bead of blood to flow down his neck.

"What do you want, _big brother_?" Herobrine hissed, hands clenched in repressed anger.

"I want you to come back to us." Notch replied evenly, causing Sky to frown in confusion. Steve, who had just regained consciousness, opened his mouth to object, but Notch cut him off with a hard glare.

"How dare you ask me to 'come back', when you were the one that exiled me in the first place!" Herobrine shouted, causing Bajan to visibly flinch, "It's your fault I'm like this, you and your misguided sense of justice!"

Notch had the decency to look ashamed. "I know, I know. What's done is done, but it's not too late for you to rejoin us. You can be our protector, our champion, just like you always wanted."

Herobrine shook his head, fighting the calm reason on his older brother's tone. Visions of Misa, smiling in full diamond armour, flashed before his eyes, and he cringed at the deep yearning ache that welled up inside him. His eyes dimmed as he wrestled with his own conscious, then shone blinding white as he met Notch's gaze.

"No," He murmured, moment of weakness past, "I will not be denied my revenge, and no amount of sly speech will sway me from my purpose!" He flung Bajan to one side, readying his black-and-silver blade. White-hot flames licked along it's edge, waves of intense heat and power shrouding him in ethereal fog.

"I am Herobrine," He snarled, voice laced with black energy, _"And I will not be denied!"_

* * *

**What did y'all think of that? Please note, this fic is not over yet! Leave a rating if you liked, you comments are much appreciated :)**


	13. The Fallen

**Why hello again! Sorry for the incredibly long wait, the dreaded writer's block struck again! Anyway, this chapter may be edited as I am not happy with it, and this fic is turning out to be a LOT longer than expected, so bear with me :)**

* * *

**The Fallen**

She watched in silence as the two powerful beings warily appraised each other. No one made a move to break the heavy, tension-laden atmosphere, no one dared to dispel the bitter stillness perforating the air. The pain in Echo's shoulder was barely noticeable any more; all her attention was focused on the seething brothers before her.

Herobrine's bare feet hovered half a metre off the ground, darkness cloaking his slender frame in an ashen shroud heavy with the weight of death. His blank, soulless eyes burned white-hot amongst the oppressive gloom, two bright spheres of sickening light.

Notch remained unimpressed by this grandiose show of power. He folded his arms in defiance, smirking, goading his younger sibling on.

"Is that all you got?"

"What are you DOING?" Sky hissed, "Don't piss him off!"

Notch only spared Sky a cursory glance, and Herobrine didn't acknowledge him at all, causing the budder warrior to feel strangely inferior. Echo could tell that Sky was offended by Notch's response (or lack of it), and prayed that it didn't drive him to do something rash.

"Is that all you got?" Notch repeated, smiling gently.

"You haven't seen half of what I can do." Herobrine spat.

"And you haven't seen anything of what I can do." To Echo's amazement, Notch's feet slowly left the ground, his muscular form drifting gently upwards to be level with Herobrine as the white-eyed being gaped in astonishment. When Notch spread his arms wide, golden light radiated from the tips of his fingers and filled the air with warmth and gentle, harmonious birdsong. The hot pain in Echo's shoulder lessened, peaceful relaxation overcoming the weary tension in her muscles. She was tempted to lay her head down and sleep, but fought the drowsiness numbing her senses.

"What the…?" Sky gaped, reclaiming his fallen sword, "How can you…?"

"You think I rose to a position of power through leadership alone?" Notch smiled sadly. Sky took advantage of Herobrine's inaction to try and slice at his back, but his move had been anticipated. Once again, Sky found himself lifted off the ground, and catapulted at the nearest solid structure (which happened to be a wooden villager's home), destroying the whole wall in the impact.

Herobrine returned his attention to Notch; the being swung, but found his strike skillfully blocked by his brother. Enraged by the satisfied smirk on Notch's face at his failed efforts, the white-eyed soul advanced, lashing out with a series of lightning-fast, red hot strikes that would have cut any normal man in two.

Notch was not a normal man.

Every one of Herobrine's perfectly executed attacks was deflected, and the warring brothers' power charged the air with static. Thunder rumbled overhead, despite the absence of clouds in the sky. Seeing the fruitlessness of his efforts, Herobrine backed away, shooting dense, concentrated spheres of molten magma from his palms; Notch retaliated with a dazzling beam of golden light that turned the projectiles to dust.

In the confusion that followed - the bright flare had temporarily blinded everyone present - Herobrine lunged, porting behind his brother, wrapping an arm around his throat and trapping him in a strong chokehold. Notch himself seemed unfazed, driving a strong elbow into the fresh wound across Herobrine's stomach. He hissed, but simply tightened the choke, causing his older sibling's face to turn red from lack of oxygen.

"Let's see how tough you are, brother."

Taken by surprise, Notch was steadily losing consciousness, so Herobrine rocketed upwards until he was a mere speck to those on the ground, and glanced down at his struggling relative. Finally, he opened his arms wide and let him go, the force of Notch's limp body impacting the ground causing a strong tremor through the earth.

Notch had fallen.

No one could have survived that, Echo thought sadly. Not even he could.

Herobrine grinned in triumph, touching down beside the ragged scar in the dirt. He glanced downwards, seeming satisfied with his handiwork, then turned to Sky, who struggled to stand after the battering his body had taken.

"No," Sky raised his sword weakly, only to have it knocked from his grasp. Echo staggered forward in an attempt to separate the pair, but stopped dead as Herobrine drove his sword straight through the budder warrior's chest.

Sky cried out in pure agony as the weapon was twisted savagely; the tip protruding from his back coated in a wet crimson smear. Herobrine threw Sky to the ground at his feet, then turned to look straight at Echo with his blank, burning eyes.

Echo wasn't proud of what she did that day. The blood. Sky's unearthly howl of pain. The unmistakable way that sound was abruptly cut off. Her own blood pounded in her ears, and her dagger slipped from her shaking grip. Echo tore her eyes away from the murderer before her.

And ran.

* * *

Herobrine snarled at the wretched woman's cowardice in the face of death. He was tempted to chase after her, but she was unimportant. An ant ready to be crushed.

The young man with the dark sunglasses and the glinting gold amulet though… he was trouble. It was evident from the partially-healed wound across Herobrine's chest that the being had underestimated him. Well, Herobrine would not make the same mistake twice.

Sky's hazel eyes slowly attempted to focus. He could make out a crumpled figure a few metres away, unmoving, dark red hair matted with mud. Daxx. A crater to his left marked the spot where Notch had fallen, perhaps for good. Steve had managed to sit up, using a street light for support, and was cradling his head in one bloodied hand. Next to him, a blurred figure. Bajan, still wielding his sword in an attempt to protect his semi-conscious friend. Sky's fingers went to his chest, and came away stained red. The sight of his own blood caused a wave of dizziness and exhaustion, making the bile rise in his throat. He was going to die, right here, right now.

Sky felt strangely OK about that.


	14. Memories

**Sorry for the long wait, writing is HARD! If you spot any mistakes or errors in any of my chapters, please let me know so I can fix them. Anyways, read, enjoy, and don't forget to leave a rating!**

**Note - this is a "flashback" chapter.**

* * *

**Memories**

_"Come on! You're falling behind!" The boy laughed after shooting a mocking glance at his younger brother, covered in mud and panting heavily several metres behind him. He couldn't even manage to draw breath any more, let alone challenge his older sibling's mockery of his stamina._

_"Ugh… Wait up! I can't…" The blue-eyed child groaned, clutching his side in pain. After a few more staggering steps, he gave up and leant heavily against a tree for support, glaring at his more able-bodied brother, already toned and battle-hardened from hours of exercise._

_"It's going to be night soon you know. We should get going." The young warrior prompted and waited patiently for a response; he got only a glare in return. He noticed his sibling was still having trouble catching his breath, and the pale skin on his shoulders was red and peeling._

"Serves him right for staying too long indoors,"_ Notch thought, _"He hasn't given his skin time to adapt to the sunlight."

_A sharp breaking of branches and the rustle of foliage alerted him to another presence nearby, so Notch drew his iron sword and placed himself in front of his brother. With a growl, Herobrine hoisted himself up and drew his own weapon._

_"I don't need you to protect me, brother."_

_"Formal as always, Brine." Notch smiled thinly, keeping his eyes on the trees beyond their small clearing. He was confident he could handle a few lowly mobs, but the sight of the sun sinking below the horizon the added responsibility of looking after his brother…_

_"What's the matter?" Herobrine taunted lightly, "Scared of the dark?"_

_"If you could run faster we wouldn't have been out so late in the first place." Notch was pretty sure he had traced the source of the noise to a dense knot of foliage, an ideal place for an attacker to conceal himself. He tensed in anticipation, but relaxed when he caught a glimpse of the figure behind the bushes._

_"You scared me, Misa!" Notch smiled, calming. "I could have stabbed you!"_

_"Damn, I still can't sneak up on you, Notch," A young woman stepped out from behind the low tangle of branches, long dark hair swept back in a loose ponytail. She wore her favorite leather hunting clothes, worn and tattered, with her trusty iron sword by her side. "Hey blue-eyes, wassup?"_

_"This tedious ten-mile hike was not my idea," Herobrine muttered testily, leaning back against his tree. "Notch made me participate in this hellish run."_

_Misa smiled in fake sympathy, pulling him up from his comfortable spot on the ground._

_"Come on, it's dark out here." With a hard poke to the back, Herobrine was off and running again, the trio steadily making their way towards their ramshackle village. Notch and Misa chatted easily as they sprinted through the open forest, making light work of the last half-mile of grassland, while Herobrine found himself (once again) exhausted and finding it hard to draw breath. His brother made it look so easy - running tirelessly without a care in the world - but exercise wasn't one of Herobrine's strong points. He started to lag behind, his chest heaving in an attempt to get more air._

_"Brother… Wait!"_

_It didn't look like Notch had heard him; The older sibling didn't even glance back at his struggling kin. Herobrine tried to call out to him again, but he could only muster a loud, choking cough. Tripping over a stray grass block almost invisible in the twilight, his ankle twisted and exploded with pain when he tried to put pressure on it. Herobrine figured it must have been sprained, or worse. "To Nether with it!" He swore in his head, legs crumpling beneath him as they could no longer support his weight. Herobrine knew he wouldn't be able to walk for a while, and his brother hadn't even noticed his predicament. He just needed Notch to look round…_

* * *

_"So, what is it with him anyway?" Misa shot a curious glance at the young man jogging beside her. "He's so… withdrawn and formal. You two look so alike, but you're polar opposites."_

_"Brine loosens up when you get to know him," Notch grinned. "I think he's just on edge because he fancies yo- Ow!" He rubbed the tender spot on his shoulder where Misa had punched him, and waited for Herobrine's inevitable breathless protestations. When no sound came from behind him, he slowed and turned around._

_"Brine?"_

_Misa skidded to a halt and frowned. "Where did he go? He can't have fallen behind that much."_

_Night had well and truly fallen now. Not a faint smudge of brightness remained in the obsidian sky, and Notch could hear the rowdy clatter of skeletons in the far distance. They began to retrace their steps, growing increasingly agitated at their companion's absence._

_"I swear, if this is one of your games…"_

_Then they heard the scream._

* * *

_Herobrine couldn't get up. His ankle was one cold lump of agony and any attempt to move it resulted in a sharp nauseating wave of pain. At least he hadn't lost his sword; the stout iron weapon rested in his lap, although he doubted it would help him much if a mob attacked._

_"Brother…" He knew Notch was too far ahead to hear him, and it could be ages before anyone realised something was amiss. Even worse, he could tell that there were mobs around, as the shuffling of clumsy undead feet was resounding in the silence. Herobrine swore colourfully, trying to keep the fear at bay._

_Then he heard it. Someone… No, some_thing_ was behind him, a crude, snarling outline in the blackness. There was nothing Herobrine could do but clutch his sword tightly and wait, as he was unable to run. The hulking figure maneuvered itself into Herobrine's line of sight, ignoring his weak attempts to fend it off. It brushed against his swollen ankle, causing Herobrine to yell out in pain. This primal reaction only seemed to encourage the flesh-eater more, it's growls increasing in intensity as it batted Herobrine's sword to one side, out of his grasp._

_"No! I refuse to die this way!" The young man swung his fist at the corpse's face, but any nerve endings he may have triggered had long since rotted away. He could only use his bare hands to fend off the mob and try to keep it's filthy mouth away from his skin, but he knew his cries would only draw more attention to himself so he endeavoured to stay silent._

What would Notch say if he saw me now, losing to a lowly zombie?_ Herobrine grunted, the strain of keeping a hungry mob at bay taking it's toll on his arms. Brine tried to push the mob away, but it was a hopeless effort and he knew it. The zombie's decayed, rotting teeth were mere centimeters away from his neck, it's cold, lifeless eyes boring into his own. It opened it's mouth wide-_

_And suddenly jerked forwards, a semi-congealed spray of blood spattering it's shirt. The mob slowly slid to one side, revealing Herobrine's brother yanking his sword from the zombie's back. Notch grinned down at his injured sibling; it appeared the warrior had gotten there in the nick of time._

_"You OK, brother?"_

_Herobrine sighed, but couldn't keep the relieved grin from spreading across his face._

_"I… I am fine. Thank you."_

_Notch smiled. "Don't worry, baby brother. I'll always be here for you when you need me most."_

_"I'll always be here for you."_

_"I'll always be here…"_


	15. Promises

**Promises**

Notch wasn't dead. In pain, true, but still alive. He coughed, causing a light string of crimson to stain the front of his tunic. Where was he? A faint circle of sunlight above him illuminated his surroundings; the warrior appeared to be in a large hole of some sort.

_What…?_

Herobrine must have dropped him after he had passed out; he was flat on his back inside a large impact crater, mud thoroughly permeating his ragged clothes. He could hear someone yelling in fright, but the sound was far away and distorted, like eavesdropping on a conversation underwater. The warrior waited patiently for the nauseous feeling in his stomach to subside, then managed to sit up, every joint protesting, and hoisted himself out of the fissure in the gravel he had created.

"No…" Sky was splayed out on the ground, murmuring incoherently and clutching at a gaping wound in his chest. The budder master seemed almost peaceful considering his predicament and the little time he had left. Daxx was unmoving, having been felled by the same injury that was slowly draining Sky's life away. The only one who noticed Notch's return to the land of the living was Steve, who gasped in astonishment at Notch's superhuman invulnerability. Unfortunately, the sharp noise alerted Herobrine, who had been looming over Sky's limp body with intent to finish him off.

"So you did survive. Impressive." Herobrine's blank eyes flared with dark energy, and his features twisted into a sadistic sneer. He decided to leave Sky to bleed to death on his own, as the experience was far more painful than a simple, clean stab or beheading. After all, he could be sure now that none of the other Minecraftians were a threat anymore, so he could focus solely on his despised (yet somehow still living) older brother.

"Of course I did." Notch coughed again, his move to rise had disturbed the motes of dust clinging to the scarred ground. A memory flittered in the corner of his mind; he tried to chase it away, but the unwanted reminder remained.

_I'll always be here for you…_

He finally stood, wiping the accumulated grime from his shredded tunic. To his satisfaction, Notch found his powers had not been very depleted by the healing process and he was nearly at full health, the golden energy residing inside of him curling round his hands and making them glow with an ethereal light. His power. That light called to him, attempted to bend his will to it's own, but he had always managed to keep control. Control didn't stop Notch from hearing the whispers, though.

_Why do you throw yourself in with these pathetic creatures. You are above them. You should force them to bow at your feet, not kneel beside them in the dirt. You are better than them. You are-_

Notch growled, shaking his head in anger. Uncooperative power was the last thing he needed right now, not when he was facing a much more dangerous opponent.

A pained cough distracted Notch from his worrisome thoughts. Steve, concussed and bloodied from the blow to his head, had reclaimed his cracked diamond sword and had hoisted himself up off the floor, using Bajan as a support. The Canadian attempted to gently lay him back down, but was roughly pushed away.

"No. I need to… I need to see this through."

"Some kind of chivalrous act?" Herobrine menacingly enquired, "You humans and your childish sense of nobility." Steve ignored the jibe and limped wordlessly to Notch's side.

"Last chance mortal. Lay down the sword and I promise I'll make it quick."

Steve just growled in reply, white-knuckled from gripping his weapon too tightly. "Never."

Delighted, Herobrine raised his own blade, black energy seeping from the hilt and pooling on the stone slabs at his feet. The assembled Minecraftians felt instantly nauseous from the power's proximity, and even Notch winced at the sick contiguity. Herobrine took a slow step forward, the ground under his feet warping and distorting from the contact. In all honesty, it pained him to finally be so close. To finally see that once-revered face again. Herobrine had never forgotten Notch's promise to him in the open forest beside their home, had always trusted his brother to stand by his word.

_I'll always be here for you…_

Herobrine snarled, swinging his black-and-silver sword in a deadly arc. As he had anticipated, the strike was blocked, but not as perfectly and efficiently as before. His brother had been weakened; at least he wasn't completely immortal. Grinning, the white-eyed warrior stepped in close, driving the blade forwards and not allowing Notch any room to retreat. Spark flew, the force of their ferocious swings making the blades ring out in disharmony. Diamond against obsidian and Nether-quartz. There was no telling what would break first.

The swords clashed once more and Herobrine ducked under Notch's guard, grazing the side of his arm. It was a minor wound, but the force of the two potent powers colliding - Herobrine's black energy and Notch's golden radiance - knocked the brothers back a few steps, a strong wind stirring up motes of blackened dust. Herobrine seized the opportunity, charging into Notch with inhuman strength and sending him flying straight through the wall of the village's small church. The frail structure shook with the impact, but remained standing. Barely.

Notch couldn't see. It was pitch black inside, all torches extinguished by the rush of air from his collision. The dying red embers flickered, but shed no light on their surroundings. Slowly he sat up and flinched at the sharp, hot pain at the back of his head. The cracked stone altar at the head of the chapel had been completely annihilated by the collision; he was lucky he had come to a halt before hitting the other wall, or he would have brought the whole church down on top of him. Absently, he wondered if he'd survive such an impact.

_It doesn't matter._

Brushing off the chips of cobblestone adorning his chest and shoulders, Notch stood, peering into the gloom and trying to catch a glimpse of his brother. As if on cue, two bright pinpricks of light materialised in the blackness, followed by a dark, mocking voice.

"Are you there, my dear brother? Come out, wherever you are…"

Herobrine's eyes lit up the room like a searchlight, illuminating Notch crouching by the altar, squinting from the sudden harsh brightness.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Faster than Notch could blink, he found himself pinned up against the back wall of the church, forced to look directly into those awful, blinding orbs. He had lost his sword, and could do nothing but watch as Herobrine rested the point of his own weapon against Notch's chest.

"Wait," Notch closed his own eyes in defeat. "Do you… Do you remember what I promised all those years ago?" His brother snarled, not wanting to relive such a painful memory.

"I don't care." It was a lie and they both knew it. Appealing to Herobrine's conscious was the only option Notch had, being in such a vulnerable position.

"I made you a promise brother," Notch saw Herobrine's eyes narrow, warning him to stop; The warrior carried on regardless. "I promised to you that I would always be here for you, no matter what. I promised-"

"ENOUGH!" Herobrine would not be deterred from his goal. "You broke that promise when you abandoned me, and left me to die! All your honeyed words, your sly tricks, they are meaningless. I WILL END YOU, BROTHER!" Herobrine shrieked hysterically, raising his sword, dripping with malicious energy, high above his head.

The quartz-and-obsidian blade came plunging down.

* * *

**NOT A CLIFF HANGER! Wow this story is turning out to be a lot longer than I'd previously thought; I'm just having so much fun with it!**

**Just a warning, these posts may be a little less frequent now that I am running two stories simultaneously, but I'll do my best!**


	16. Revenge

**I'm so sorry, I haven't uploaded in AGES! This chapter was just so hard to write because... Well, you'll see.**

**Warning - MAJOR FEELS in this chapter!**

* * *

Revenge

"That's it. I'm going in." Steve shook so hard he could barely hold his sword, but the bright fire of determination burned in his azure eyes. He glared at Bajan, daring the Canadian to try and stop him, but the shaggy-haired Minecraftian stepped aside.

"Go get the bastard."

Steve nodded grimly, glancing at the fresh gaping hole in the church wall that Herobrine had passed through. He wasn't sure if Notch had survived and was capable of fighting, but supposed it didn't matter. Either way, one of them - Notch, Herobrine or himself - was going down.

"Wait," Annoyed, Steve looked back at the darkened street, but wasn't sure who had spoken. Who… That voice? Was it Sky?

"Wait," The weak voice came again. In the eerie half-light, Steve made out the slight rise and fall of the budder warrior's chest. He looked to be in great pain, but bore the agony just to call out to Steve. Why?

"You should rest," Steve knelt beside the crimson-stained figure who was trying to sit up, gently lifting his shirt to move the material away from the wound. Sky hissed, his hands raising automatically to protect the injury. "It's OK, just stay with us. Help is on the way."

"I'm not… an idiot, Steve," A small line of blood, dark and watery, leaked from the side of Sky's mouth. "There's no hope for me now. Just… Just promise me something."

Steve nodded reassuringly, keeping a wary eye on the crumbling chapel wall. "Anything."

Sky's head lolled; he barely had the strength to speak, but managed to mumble out one sentence. One last sentence.

"Promise me you'll take him down."

* * *

The blade never landed.

Notch had closed his eyes in defeat, accepting his fate. It seemed he was to die by his brother's hand after all, and nothing was going to steer Herobrine from his path now. Not after Notch had betrayed him.

_I'll always be here for you…_

He frowned. What was taking so long? Cautiously, Notch reopened his dark eyes, expecting to see the cold, sinister quartz-and-obsidian blade headed straight for him. Nothing. The blinding glow of his brother's eyes had vanished, leaving him blinking in the darkness. He wanted to move, or call out, anything to alleviate the tension gripping him like a vice, but didn't dare act - it could be just what Herobrine was waiting for.

As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, Notch made out the faint outline of the hole in the chapel wall, illuminated by the dying light beyond. The fading sun didn't bring him hope; several of the village houses were in ruins, and the townspeople would be in danger should mobs start to spawn. He faltered for a moment, debating what to do. Notch was sure his brother hadn't intentionally spared him; Herobrine was too far gone for that.

A subtle movement amongst the wreckage set his nerves on edge, but Notch relaxed when he caught a glimpse of the figure entering the church. Steve, somehow still standing, had braved the darkness manifested inside the ruined chapel just to come to Notch's aid. The warrior felt a newfound respect for him, as he wouldn't have done the same had he been in Steve's place.

"Notch!" Steve whispered, his throat hoarse from tension, "Are you OK?"

Notch pushed himself up off the shattered dias, causing Steve to flinch in fright. His diamond sword, cracked down one side, quivered in his grip as he trembled with fear, but tried hard to suppress his natural fight-or-flight instincts. Notch wasn't sure he could rely on Steve in a fight anymore; it was best if the young man just stayed out of Notch's way.

"Steve, you should go," Steve's face fell at the harsh tone of Notch's words, but his hushed protestations were silenced by Notch's hard stare. He turned to leave, reassured in the knowledge that the village leader was alive, but stopped dead when a silhouette materialised by the gaping fracture in the chapel wall, preventing him from reaching the comforting glow of the outside world.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere mortal. I still owe you something." Herobrine's normal voice was overlayed with a deep, powerful bass timbre, and his blank eyes flashed with malicious force. His mouth twisted into a grimace, a hideous parody of a smile that was reflected in the black, gleaming edge of his blade. Notch sagged at the sight; his beloved brother was too far gone into his desire for vengeance to listen to reason, and it was all Notch's fault.

_I'll always be here for you…_

It was all his fault.

Steve moved to advance, but Herobrine was quicker, the quartz-and-obsidian sword missing his face by a hair's breadth. Snarling, Steve retaliated in kind, but failed to even graze the white-eyed warrior. Every strike was met with precision and deadly accuracy, the solid onslaught rapidly lowering the durability of Steve's sword. He made to step forwards, and would have gotten his head sliced clean off had Notch not pulled him sharply back.

"No. This is not your fight."

Steve, helpless, could only watch as his rescuer launched himself at Herobrine, their weapons colliding in a blur of desperate movement and a clash of splintering metal. It was painfully obvious who was going to be triumphant though; Notch - weakened by his still-healing injuries and the mental anguish of being forced to fight one of his blood - was retreating, his strikes becoming wilder and less coordinated. Herobrine sensed a victory, and kicked out with one strong leg, sending Notch careening into a row of pews and leaving a path of destruction in his wake. Before he could even attempt to stand, he felt himself pinned down by a forceful knee to his chest, the back of his head slamming into the cold stone tiles.

"Seems fitting to end it all here." Herobrine wasn't even out of breath. He grinned triumphantly, delighted in his victory and the thrill of power coursing through his veins. Notch, through tear-filled eyes, could only lie there and watch. Watch as Herobrine readied his blade to deliver the final blow-

-And suddenly jerked forward in shock, the point of a cracked diamond blade protruding from his chest. Notch's only brother slid to one side, his thick blood staining the ground a dark crimson. Herobrine gasped in pain, trying and failing to remove the copper-stained weapon from his midsection. It was too much for even him.

Too much to remove the blade planted by…

Planted by…

"That was for Zek, and Sky, and every other innocent person you've killed." Steve, shaking, gazed down at his blood-soaked hands, now empty of any weapon.

His weapon was…

_Oh Notch, I…_

_What did I do?_

Herobrine bit his lip hard, fighting the agony coursing through him, his empty white eyes locked onto Steve's. The shocked Minecraftian would remember that silent moment for the rest of his life, remember that piteous look on the dying man's features. Notch rolled over, crawling to his side, tears streaming down his bloodied face.

"I'm sorry brother, I'm so sorry…"

Herobrine's head fell to one side, his gaze resting on his older brother's face.

"I…"

His eyes closed; Herobrine's face slackened, and finally he lay still.

* * *

**Oh God, I feel so sad! Just a heads up, this isn't the last chapter, so don't abandon me yet, you guys!**

**Also, if you like Minecraft fan art, check out my Deviantart drawings! (The link is in my profile)**

**(I need to go lie down now...)**


	17. Epilogue

**It's early! Yay! I was just so excited when typing this up that I finished it a lot quicker than expected. **

**I guess this concludes Herobrine Rising then; I will be writing a sequel though! I've also decided to rewrite some of my earlier chapters as they aren't very good, but you don't have to go read them all again. The story won't change at all, I'm just going to improve the structure and vocabulary a little.**

**Anyway, without further ado...**

* * *

**Epilogue**

_"No, that's not how you hold a sword." The young boy laughed delightedly at the sight of his brother trying - and failing - to heft the large blade in his grip. His younger sibling's face was a mask of frustration, red-cheeked, panting at the effort to lift a weapon twice as long as he was. Sighing, the older brother took the blade from him, effortlessly lifting it high above his head._

_"You're such a show-off!" Humiliated by his failure, the eight-year-old child with ridiculously blue eyes turned away to hide his embarrassment. Why did his brother always have to be better than him? Why wasn't he able to do anything for himself?_

_He felt a pair of strong arms wrap gently around him, but didn't relax into the comforting hold._

_"Hey, it's not your fault. I am two years older than you after all."_

_"I just want to be strong, like you."_

_Notch spun his brother around to face him; surprised, the child didn't resist and dared to look up into his brother's stern face._

_"You are strong, Brine. In some ways, you are stronger than I am."_

_"How?"_

_Smiling, Notch pointed to Herobrine's chest. Seeing the wary confusion on his sibling's face, he explained._

_"It doesn't matter how good you are at fighting, or running, or building. It matters what's in here. You have heart, brother, and passion will get you further than skill ever will. You shall probably surpass even me someday."_

_Herobrine was speechless. His sibling - his fiercely proud and competitive sibling - was freely admitting that his younger brother was to be better than him. Notch had never said anything of the sort before, so Herobrine had always assumed he was doomed to lurk in second place for his whole life. But this… This confession. It was something else._

_"Do you really mean that?"_

_"Of course I do, baby brother. Skill alone will not help you to become a great leader." Notch, pleased that he had been able to lighten up his companion's sulky mood, picked up the sword once again and placed his hands firmly on the hilt._

_"Right, let's try this attack pattern again, shall we? Brine?" Glancing behind him, he saw Herobrine was nowhere to be seen. Confused, he turned fully around, catching a glimpse of his brother's back disappearing into the darkness of the training room's storage area._

This isn't what happened…

_"Brine, hey! Come back!" Notch let the blade fall once again, and started towards his sibling. The short corridor between them seemed to warp and lengthen, meaning that - however hard he ran - Notch was unable to reach the other end._

This isn't how that day went…

_Herobrine, seeming to hear him, swiveled round to face his bewildered older brother. A manic grin adorned his childish face, and his eyes…_

_His eyes were pure white._

Brother...

* * *

"Brother!" Notch, face slicked with sweat, bolted straight up in bed, hands clutching the sheets in distress. It was pitch black outside, his sleeping quarters shrouded in gloom. As his eyes adjusted, Notch made out a figure reclining in the large leather chair by the door to his room. A figure dressed in a cyan shirt and blue jeans that seemed to hans loosely of his malnourised frame. The man appeared to be asleep, worn out and exhausted, tension clear in the slant of his shoulders and the thick bags under his eyes.

"Steve?" The name elicited a reaction from the intruder, causing him to stir slightly and shift his position, but his eyes remained firmly closed.

"Steve?" Notch repeated, outraged at the Minecraftian's reluctance to listen. "What are you doing here? These are my private quarters!"

"My dear Notch," The all-too-familiar voice rang out clearly across the room as the figure finally opened his eyes, revealing blank, sickening orbs of pure white.

"Is that any way to address your brother?"


End file.
